Tips for Thanksgiving Food Preparation

Whether you are cooking your first Thanksgiving meal or you are a seasoned pro you may be looking for tips on Thanksgiving food preparation. Whether you make a traditional meal or put your own personal spin on it there are tips that can help you improve your Thanksgiving meal and perhaps even help you make it easier and with less stress. Here are some tips for Thanksgiving food preparation-

· Turkey-Studies show that eighty eight per cent of Americans reported eating turkey last Thanksgiving. While most Americans preparing Thanksgiving dinner roasted their turkeys (74%), interest and experimentation in non-traditional methods of turkey preparation, such as deep-frying, brining, smoking and grilling, are rapidly gaining in popularity. You may want to surprise your family and friends this Thanksgiving with a new spin on this old favorite. It really is simple to be creative when you cook with turkey because it's easily seasoned and complements any dish on the table. Cooking experts say that you can easily change the flavor profile of turkey by altering the cooking method, preparation or both. You can also experiment with different rub and marinade seasonings, then try deep frying, brining or grilling for added flavor.

· Dressing or Stuffing?-The debate may rage on as to what each is but the bottom line is this-Dressing is baked outside of the turkey and stuffing is put inside the turkey to bake while the turkey roasts. While there are few restrictions on dressing the same cannot be said for stuffing. Stuffing needs to be cooled properly before being inserted into the turkey and then it must reach at least 160 degrees before being considered done. The problem with using stuffing is that often times by the time the stuffing is done the turkey is overdone. You can use your stuffing or dressing to reflect your taste and creativity and even have it reflect where you live. For example: New Englanders often make an oyster or cranberry stuffing while those living in the Southwest often add pine nuts or sausage to theirs.